REBORN CABINETS
Growing up, Vincent Nardolillo (888-2-REBORN) learned cabinet refacing skills helping out after school at his brother’s woodworking shop. As an adult, he continued to make use of his craft working as a carpenter in his hometown of New York. When Vinny moved to California, he tried to convince his employer of the profitability in cabinet refacing. However, because the concept was relatively new to the West Coast, his idea received little support. At that point, Vincent decided to open his own business with his wife and created REBORN CABINETS in 1983. To support her husband, Brenda took accounting classes and became the office manager at their company. In the years that ensued, Reborn Cabinets grew significantly with help from Yellow Pages advertising and exhibitions in home shows. Today, the business employs 140 people in its 9,000-square-foot warehouse and grosses $13 million annually. The Nardolillos children have also joined the team. Vincent, Jr. is in charge of marketing while his brother Anthony manages production and in-home installation.

ADENNA, INC.
Maxwell Lee is the owner of ADENNA, INC., a manufacturer and distributor of latex rubber gloves. It currently supplies 1 billion gloves throughout the United States as well as to Mexico and Canada. He came upon the idea after speaking to relatives in Asia who were looking to push their products to America. Maxwell saw the potential but was unfamiliar with rubber gloves and had little money to create a business. Nonetheless, he decided to take the risk and used his savings as capital. His instincts were correct. His idea turned into a successful venture and was named one of Inc. 500’s fastest growing companies in 2004. Maxwell continues to innovate by reinvesting his profits into research and development. Adenna is creating a new glove called “Miracle,” which contains vitamins and herbal extracts for moisturizing and comfort. Maxwell is also working to expand his company by establishing a joint venture in China.

In Secrets of Success, Ramesh Swamy (www.lambbdc.org) of USC’s West Los Angeles County Business Development Center gives advice to business owners on how to keep up with changing trends.

Studio Guest is William M. Leider (310-823-8171; wleider@earthlink.net) of Leider Murphy & Associates who talks about why focusing on fundamentals is crucial to building a successful company